I remember a mire twenty one years ago, a quote from a life long New York Rangers fan who exclaimed after they won the 1994 Stanley Cup; "Now, I can die in peace!!!". It was a forty four year wait for that hockey fan to see his beloved team with a championship. For a Boston Red Sox fan, it was even longer until they won the World Series in 2004. Yet still, if you are a Chicago Cubs fan, you are STILL waiting for now, over a hundred years, that championship! As a follower of thoroughbred racing, it took 37 years until the crowning achievement of racing was realized; a Triple Crown championship with American Pharoah. After many, many disappointments, American Pharoah did something that many racing fans under the age of thirty have never seen. Finally the twelved champion in the history of racing to accomplish this feat. Yet, why do I feel no different than before last Saturday evening?
It's been in my blood ever since writing about this sport in 1998, to see a thoroughbred do this "hat trick" in five weeks every year. I really thought that first year writing for the Recorder, I would see Real Quiet become that champion. But, a photo finish and nose defeat ended that quest. There would be other tries continuing throughout the next 17 years and just seven years ago in 2008, when the quote; "unbeatable" Big Brown was eased, my temperament began to fade even more. When attending my first Triple Crown try just three years ago when I'll Have Another scratched the day before the race, my doubts even came more into focus. Then there was last year, when California Chrome continued that impossible streak of coming up empty. Something told me that it wasn't in the cards. So, this year was it more of the same or finally was there a race horse that could live up to the hype?
Yes, if there was one, it was the two year old champion of last year; American Pharoah. After all, he was the most talented three year old in quite some time from what he accomplished in only a few weeks this spring. Finally, the public got what they wanted. A horse that would live up to the hype and get the job done.
I watched the race with some of my favorite horse racing friends that I grew up with. These guys are the "hardcore" players who follow the sport nearly year round. They "send it in" on every race imaginable, even on big days such as last Saturday. They were even thrilled in seeing something that had been accomplished for the first time since they were in grade school. Then there was me, the guy who writes about the sport most every week. Happy for the sport that there was a Triple Crown winner, but not as excited as I thought I'd be. Could it be from the years of disappointments that the feat wasn't accomplished? Was it because I know this very talented three year old will only be racing until the end of the year? That's not even a given, in today's thoroughbred world. The last two Triple Crown winners way back when; Seattle Slew and Affirmed BOTH raced as four year olds the following year. Could it be today's sport of thoroughbred racing, which some say is a "dying" sport, that this achievement may be just a "blip" on the radar? After all, great thoroughbreds are liking shooting stars, they are bright at first, full of potential and just as quick are gone because of various reasons. I really don't know.
They say this is "good for the sport", I could never get that reasoning. Will this attract new people to the sport and keep them interested long term? Or do I just feel jaded from following thoroughbred racing for thirty years and seeing it's many ups and many downs. We saw history last Saturday evening, something that hadn't happen in a very long time. American Pharoah is the BEST three year old in nearly forty years, I won't take that away from him! So what happens now, will he race at least two more times? No four year old campaign for him! That automatically does not put him in the same category as either Seattle Slew or Affirmed. Will he come to Saratoga? The chances of that are even bigger than his Triple Crown sweep. I guess everyone will have the pleasure that American Pharoah won the Triple Crown and ended the drought. Is he a "great" horse? He's a great three year old and a great horse in the public's eye. All time great? If he can beat older horses in his last two starts, I guess. For the layman, American Pharoah is the hero and a history maker. For the sport, he ended the very long space of a three year old not accomplishing this feat. That's good. But, like a great thoroughbred handicapper once told me after losing a race, there are nine more. Thoroughbred racing is in the spotlight now, it's up to the fans who witness this feat that need to keep it there. Do it for American Pharoah.
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